USA > Mississippi > History of the upper Mississippi Valley, pt 2 > Part 51
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JouN RocH, a pioneer of this town, was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, on the 2d of May, 1813. He came to America in 1847, located in Wisconsin, and was engaged in different parts of the State, until 1866. Then, coming to this town, he par- chased a farm and has since made it his home. Mr. Roch was a member of the first board of Su- pervisors. He was married in 1852, to Miss Clara Hubst. They have seven children.
MICHAEL SCHMIDTBAUER, a native of Bavaria, was born on the 1st of September, 1837. He came to America, and at the age of fifteen years, to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where he devoted his time to farming, and removed to his present place in 1879. He was married on the 11th of September, 1862, to Miss Theresa Faltermeir. They have had eleven children, and nine are living.
REINHART STUMPF, a pioneer of the town, was born in the province of Rhine, Prussia, on the 1st of November, 1827. He came to America in 1849, locating in Dane county, Wisconsin, where he was employed at farming until 1867. He then came to this town and took his present homestead, which was in a wild state, but is now under good cultivation. Mr. Stumpť was the first Assessor of the town, and has also held other local offices. On the 23d of May, 1853, he was married to Miss Adelheid Hnpsch. There have been seven chil- dren, five of whom are living.
JOHN STUMPF, a native of Rhenish Rrussia, was born on the 25th of December, 1837. His father died when John was quite young, and at the age of twelve years he came with his mother to Amer- ica, locating in Dane county, Wisconsin. For five years he was employed in a brewery, and in 1868, came to this town. Since taking his farm he has made many substantial improvements. In 1877, Mr. Stumpf was elected to the House of Repre- sentatives from this district; has also been Super- visor for four years. On the 18th of July, 1861, he married Miss Maggie Dresen, who died on the 20th of May, 1865, leaving three children. On the 1st of May, 1866, he married Mrs. R. Koch, who has borne him seven children.
REV. IGNATIUS WESSELING., O. S. B., was born in the Parish of Meppen, now a province of the German Empire, on the 16th of November, 1849. He studied at the gymnasium at Meppen until 1870, then came to America, joined the Benedict- ines at St. Vincent, Pennsylvania, and studied two years. He came to St. John's College, in Stearns county, Minnesota, and was ordained on the 10th of Angust, 1875. Then sent to St. Angusta, in the same county, to take charge of the parishes of St. Augusta and St. Wendel, and the missions of Kimball Prairie and Clearwater. In October, 1875, he was located at St. Wendel as a resident priest, still having charge of the two latter missions. The year of 1877, he was an assistant at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and the following year came to his present charge as resident priest.
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
FRANK WISE was born in Austria on the 17th of July, 1838. He came to America and located in Dane county, Wisconsin, in 1853, where he was engaged in farming. In 1874, he came to the town of Pierz and purchased a farm, which has since been his home. He has been Justice of the Peace for two years. Was married to Miss L. Dallmeier, who has borne him eleven children.
SWAN RIVER.
CHAPTER CXLVIII.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION-EARLY SETTLEMENT -- OR- GANIZATION --- BIOGRAPHICAL.
This town was formerly included in Two Rivers, except a strip two miles in width on the north, which was detached from the town of Little Falls. Its name is from a stream of moderate size flowing in an easterly direction through the town, afford- ing an ontlet to Swan Lake. This lake was named by the Chippewas, Wabazu Zagiagan, the first name being the Chippewa for Swan.
The first settlers of whom we have any knowl- edge were, George Rice, who settled on section two, in 1856, and Hiram Sanders, who took a claim in section eight the same year. Samnel Lee, now of Little Falls, settled on section eight in 1857. Transient settlers may have come previous to this date, as the opposite side of the Mississippi river was settled as early as 1849. The oldest living settler here is James Green, a native of Somersetshire, England, who came to Minnesota in 1855, locating nt Little Falls, and to his present farm, formerly owned by Samuel Lee, in the spring of 1858. With the exception of bis term of service in the lute civil war, this has since been his home.
Heury Meyers settled here in 1865, taking a homestead in section eight. He is a native of New York, born in 1811, served in the Florida war, came to Mimeseta in 1838, and was three years in the army during the war of the Rebellion.
Robert Lewis, a native of Pennsylvania, wa's born in 1822, came to Minnesota in 1855, and to his present home in Swan River in the fall of 1865.
Charles Gilpatrick, born in the state of Maine in 1839, came to Minnesota in 1865, after having served n term in the lato wur, and located in this town, which is still his home.
The County Commissioners, in response to n pe-
tition presented by the legal voters of this district in December, 1874, set off the territory now com- prising this town, and on the 31st of January following, a special town meeting was held, mid the following officers chosen: Supervisors, F. X. Ladoux, Chairman, Hans C. Hansen, and Milton Cahorn; Clerk, H. S. Clyde; Justices of the Peace, F. S. Flint and J. Mason. No Assessor or Treas- urer were chosen until the regular annual meeting in the spring, when F. S. Flint was elected to the former, and Henry Coe to the latter office.
The first birth occurred July 2d, 1859, in the family of Samnel Lee. The ehild, George Silas Lee, is now a member of his father's family at Swan river, the old village site on the east bank of the Mississippi, in the town of Little Falls, and is interested with his father in the mill now building in this town on the Swan river.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
OSCAR L. CLYDE is a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, bern on the 20th of May, 1843. He came with his parents to Towa when about eight years of age. They located near Cedar Rapids, where our subject was reared to agricul- tural pursuits, and attended school. On the 18th of July, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, of the Eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry; was taken pris- oner at the battle of Shiloh, and after being dis- charged, participated in Grant's campaign and siege of Vicksburg. He was mistered out in Alabama on the 9th of October, 1865, and after visiting his home in Iowa, came to Minnesota, re- maining bnt one year. In 1876, he again came to this State, and located his present farm, having made it his home ever since. Miss Abby A. Ste- vons, a nntive of Somerset county, Maine, became the wife of Mr. Clyde in 1863. They have had six children, five of whom are living.
HENRY S. CLYDE is also a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and was born on the 5th of November, 1845. He came with his parents to Davenport, Iowa, where his father died. His mother died in Buchanan county, in the same State, in 1855, leaving our subject an orphan at the age of ten years. He improved all opportu- nitics afforded him to attend sebool, till the break- ing out of the war, when he went to Marion, to enlist, but on account of poor health, was not ue- copted. On the 18th of March, 1862, he went to Dubugne, was necepfed, and enlisted in Company HI, of the Thirteenth United States Infantry. Par-
631
SWAN RIVER TOWNSHIP.
ticipated in many important battles and was mus- tered out on the 18th of March, 1865. After his discharge, he was in the oil regions of Pennsyl- vania, for a short time, engaged in contracting for the digging of oil wells. Came to Minnesota the same year (1865), and was engaged in teaching school and at other occupations, till coming to his farm in section twenty, Swan River township, in 1871. In 1878, he removed to his present farm in section eighteen. Since his residence in the town Mr. Clyde had held the offices of Town Clerk, Assessor, and Chairman of the board of Supervisors. He has been twice married, first, in 1868, to Miss Emma Mapes, who died in February, 1877. His present wife's maiden name was Susan Thompson. She has borne him seven children, five of whom are living.
DURA CORBIN was born in Chautauqua county, New York, on the 9th of August, 1842. When he was but four years of uge, his parents moved to Wisconsin, and ten years after, to Oberlin, Ohio, our subject receiving his education in the two lat- ter places. In 1859, the family came to Winona county, Minnesota, and in 1864, Mr. Corbin en- listed at La Crosse, in Company I, of the Eighth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Participated in the battle of Nashville, Tennessee, and was after- wards detailed as hospital Steward. Was mus- tered out at Madison, Wisconsin, in September, 1865, and after visiting his father at La Crosse, came to St. Charles, Minnesota, where he was em- ployed as clerk in a store, He owns a farm of one Inindred and sixty acres in this place, and has been Town Clerk since the first election held in the town. Was married in 1867, to Miss Minnie R. Burrill, of New York. They have two chil- dreu, a son and a daughter.
JAMES GREEN, the oldest living settler of this town, is a native of Somersetshire, England. When abont fourteen years of age, he came to America and was engaged in various ocenpations in New York, until coming west. He first came to Detroit, Michigan, and for two years was employed on the steamboat line running between Butlalo and Chi- cago. Then coming to Minnesota, he worked at his trade (carpenter) and in the butcher business in Little Falls till 1858, when he came to Swan River and located in section eight, remaining until the breaking out of the war. In Jannary, 1862, he enlisted at Fort Snelling in the Second Minne- sota Battery. Was soon after sent to Missouri, and participated in the battle of Alexandria. He
was discharged on account of injuries snstained by a fall while in the service, for which he receives a pension. Returned to his farm after being dis- charged, and has since made it his home. Miss Amelia Bailey, a native of Missouri, became his wife in 1868. They have four children, two boys and two girls.
JOHN HAMLIN, one of the organizers of Swan River township, was born in Canada East, on the 12th of October, 1837. He resided in his native place till eight years old, when his parents came to Northampton, Massachusetts, where our subject learned the blacksmith trade. In 1855, he came to Little Falls, Minnesota, and was engaged at his trade during winters and piloting on the Missis- sippi in summer. Since 1868, Swan River las claimed Mr. Hamlin as a resident, he being en- gaged in the cultivation of his farm. Was united in marriage in 1855, with Miss Zeoa Young, who was born in Vermont. Of eleven children born to them, six are living, all boys.
ROBERT LEWIS was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, on the 11th of September, 1822. He received an education in his native county, and learned the stonemason's trade. Came west and located on a farm in Indiana, in 1850, and five years after, to Scott county, Minnesota. On the 15th of Angust, 1862, he enlisted in Company I, of the Eighth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. Was in Sully's expedition in 1863, then sent south to Murfreesboro', and participated in several ac- tive engagements. In August, 1865, he was mus- tered out at Fort Snelling and came to this place, locating on his present farm in section eight. In 1852, Miss Elizabeth Miller, of Indiana, became his wife. This nion has been blessed with one daughter, who is now married.
CHARLES W. LAKIN, a native of Washington connty, Maine, was born on the 2d of June, 1831. He received his education and learned the carpen- ter trade in his native State. Came to Minnesota in 1867, and located in Bellevue township, re- mained two years, and came to his present farm, which is situated in the fractional part of Swan River, seetion thirty-two. Mr. Lakin has held the office of Supervisor several terms, and been a mem- ber of the board of Connty Commissioners for the past three years. He was united in marriage with Mary Ann Muncy, a native of Maine, in 1858. She has borne him seven children, six of whom are living.
GEORGE W. MUNCY is u native of Maine, born
632
HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
on the 14th of March, 1846. When he was an in- fant, his parents removed to the city of St. Ste- phens, New Brunswick, where our subject was reared, following forming and the limber bnsi- nous. When he was twenty yours old, ho went to California, romnining till 1871, when he omno to Minnesota nud purchased his present farm, which is toented in section twenty-nine, the fractional part of Swan River township. He did not remove here, however, till December, 1874, since which time his parents have both died. In December, 1874, the marriage of Mr. Muncy and Miss Er- mina Goodwin took place. The Union has been blessed with two daughters.
NEIL M. O'DONNELL was born in Mayo county, Ireland, in 1817. He remained with his parents until their death, when he came to America. Com- ing directly to Vermont, in 1836, he was engaged in various employments, then went to New York and resided on a farm four years. After which time, till the breaking out of the war, he was in Wisconsin. On the 31st of December, 1863, he enlisted in Company D, of the Second Wisconsin Cavalry; was sent to Missouri, and participated in several skinnishes. In November, 1865, he was innstered out at Austin, Texas; returned to Wis- consin, and in November, 1872, came to this place and located his present farm in section eighteen. In 1847, Miss Rose Stevens, of Ireland, became his wife. They have had nine children, eight of whom are living; five girls and three boys.
LEVI J. SMITH was born in Johnson county, Iowa, on the 14th of July, 1844. In 1859, his father moved to Kansas, where our subject resided till August, 1861, when he enlisted in Company HI, of the Eighth Missouri Home Guards, under Cap- thin Hitl. At the end of his term of service, (seven months ) he re-enlisted in Company D, of the Fifteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. Was in the battles of Fort Wayne, Pea Ridge, Fayette- ville and several others, and was mustered out on the 17th of October, 1865. Then, until eoming to Minnesota, he was engaged in farming in Mi- ami county, Kansas. Came to Howard Lake, Wright county, in May, 1874, and to Swan River township, in 1878, since which time he has given his attention to farming during the summers, and humbering in winter. Mr. Smith's mother died when he was but eight years old, and his father now resides in Missouri.
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HENRY VANZILE is a native of Ontario eounty, New York, born on the 13th of March, 1826.
Since the age of fourteen years he has been de- pendent upon his own resourses, engaged in farm- ing and other occupations. On the 24th of April, 1861, ho onlisted ut Waterloo in Company C, of the Thirly-third Now York Volunteer Infuntry. Was wounded in the Seven Days Fight, on the 29th of June, 1862, taken to Libby prison, and the following August, exchanged, after which he participated in the battles of Antietam and Fred- ericksburg. At the end of his term of service, (June, 1863) he was discharged, and in August of the same year, re-enlisted; was in several active engagements and mustered out on the 20th of July, 1865. After living in New York several years, he came to Minnesota in 1873, and located in Green Prairie, Morrison county, for two years, then came to his present farm. Mr. Vanzile has been married twice; first to Miss Mary Anderson, who died on the 2d of June, 1870. His present wife was Mrs. Helen Brasie, a native of Ontario county, New York, to whom he was married in October, 1870. He has a family of five children, four girls and one boy.
TWO RIVERS.
CHAPTER CXLIX.
DESCRIPTIVE - FIRST SETTLERS - ORGANIZATION FIRST THINGS-MILLS-BIOGRAPHICAL.
Two Rivers is one of the extreme southern towns of Morrison county west of the Mississippi, which river marks its eastern boundary. The surface is undulating, with light soil near the river. Along the eastern part prairie and light brush land are found, which changes in the central and western part to heavy timber, and the soil from light to dark rich loam.
The first settler in the town is believed to be William Trask, a native of Kennebee county, Maine, who settled here in 1861, and died at the old homestead in section five, in the year 1876, and was buried in Bellevue cemetery. Several members of the family are still residents of the town. Ja- cob Thramner, of German birth, settled in seetion seventeen in 1865, and has since made this town his home.
Nicholas Kinzer, also a native of Germany, came here in 1864, locating on section twenty, where ho still resides.
633
TWO RIVERS TOWNSHIP.
John and Jacob Betzoldt, brothers, and of Ger- man birth, settled here in 1864.
Calvin A. Tuttle, born in Connectient in 1811, settled hero in 1867, and is still living on his orig- iual location in section eight. Mr. Tuttle came to Minnesota in 1838, and is frequently mentioned in these pages, having been intimately associated with the settlement of this valley.
The town of Two Rivers derives its name from Two River, a stream flowing through its limits and mingling its waters with those of the Missis- sippi. The town organization was authorized by the County Commissioners, at a meeting of the Board on the 5th of September, 1865. Follow- ing are the officers chosen at the first election, hield at the residence of William Trask, Sen., Septem- ber 20th, 1865: Supervisors, George Borman, Chairman, Charles Austin, and John Betzoldt; Clerk, Aaron Canfield; Treasurer, William Trask, Sen .; Justices of the Peace, Alexander D. Cash, and Nicholas Kinzer; Constables, Allen Blanchard, and Jacob Thramer.
The town originally embraced about two and one-half townships, but was reduced to its present size by the organization of the town of Elmdale, in the spring of 1881, by which over half the orig- inal territory was detached.
The first school was taught in the dwelling house ot John Betzoldt in the fall of 1866; the next was in a log school house in section twenty.
In the same section, a log building long ago served as a church for the Catholics, and in it the first religious exercises were conducted by Rev. Father Buch.
The first marriage ceremony was performed in February, 1867, the contracting parties being John Boeknech and Susan Simon. Mr. Bocknech died June 26th of that year, and was among the first, if not the first death in the town.
The first white child born in the town, was John Thramer, whose birth dates July 27th, 1865.
There are two saw mills owned by C. A. & C. J. 'Tuttle, and are the first built in the town.
A flouring mill his recently been built by Cap- tain Robert B. Young & Son, which, with the lumber mills mentioned, represents the milling in- terests of the town.
BIOGRAPHIICAL.
HENRY ARMSTRONG, a native of Holland, was born in March, 1818. He came to America nud loented in Bellevue, Morrison county, in about
1856. He learned the carpenter trade and worked at it in connection with farming until coming to Two Rivers in 1866. Mr. Armstrong has a well im- proved farm, about eighty acres of which are under cultivation. Since his residence here, he has held the office of Supervisor several years, und Assessor one year. Was general agent for several different harvesters, self-binders, and threshing machines, a number of years. He was united in marriage with Miss Gertrude Frey, of Wurtemburg, Germany, on the 2d of May, 1827. Of ten children born to them, but seven are living.
GEORGE BORMAN, a native of Hocking county, Ohio, was born on the 13th of May, 1812. When he was an infant his parents removed to Columbus, where he resided until twenty-four years of age, attending school and partly learn- ing the carpenter's trade. He came to Bellevue, Morrison county, in an early day, and to his pres- ent farm in 1866. Mr. Borman was the first Chairman of the board of Supervisors, for two years was Assessor, and has also held the office of Town Treasurer. In 1830, he was married to Miss Ann King, who bore him six children, three of whom are now living. She died in 1849. In 1851, he married his second wife, Miss Margaret Cochran, of Ohio. Mr. Borman had two sons in the civil war; one died in Andersonville prisen, after serving four years, and the other was in the service six months.
FRANKLIN PIERCE FARROW was born in Minne- apolis, Minnesota, on the 28th of March, 1857. His father was one of the pioneers of Bellevue and Green Prairie. In 1866, Mr. Farrow came to Two Rivers, and since his residence here, has been en- gaged in various occupations, coming to his farm only a few years since. In 1877, Miss Jennie Muncy, of Aroostook county, Maine, became his wife. They have three children, two girls and one bey.
ISAIAH LEMUEL FOSTER was born in New Bruns- wiek, in 1832. When he was quite young, his mother died, and his father moved to Fredericton. At the age of twelve years he left home, and by his own exertions obtained a fair education. For a time before coming to Minnesota, he was en- gaged in farming and the lumber business, and in 1861, came to this State. Mr. Foster built the Pacific House in St. Cloud, and had charge of it until 1867, when he came to this township, pur- chased a farm in section two, and has since made it his home. In 1860, he was married to Miss
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Mary A. Estabrook. They have not been blessed. with children of their own, but have adopted three.
JonN GEORGE GEISSEL was born in Bavaria, Germany, on the 5th of April, 1842. In 1851, his parents eame to America, loeating in Michi- gan. When Mr. Geissel was seventeen years of age he went to Louisiana, and was engaged in steamboating on the Mississippi river. In May, 1862, he was drafted in New Orleans, in the Con- federate army; was in the siege of Corinth, but in the seeond engagement at the latter place, es- caped, and joined the Third Ohio Independent Battery. He participated in the battle of La Grange, Siege of Vicksburg, and Nashville, Ten- nesssse; was also in the mareli with Sherman to Atlanta. In July, 1865, he was muistered ont at Cleveland, Ohio, and eame to Stearns eounty, Min- nesota, where his father had resided since 1856 In 1870, he was elected Sheriff of the eounty, and afterward re-elected, but in 1876, resigned, and re- moved to this town. Here, under the firm name of Geissel and Zeir, there is a ten thousand dollar stoek of general merehandise, and also a flouring mill. Mr. Geissel has been County Commissioner since 1879, and was Chairman one year. In 1858, Miss Rosina Utsch, of Missouri, became his wife. They have had eight children; fonr boys and two girls are living.
MICHEL FRANK GESSNER was born in Baden, Germany, ou the 4th of April, 1845. He came with his parents to America in 1849, and ten years later, moved to Scioto county, Ohio, where, with his father, he was employed on the canal and in the mines mmtil twenty-two years of age. On the 4th of October, 1864, he enlisted in Company C, of the One hundred and ninety seeond Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, under Captain Titus. Was mis- tered out on the 3d of July, 1865, and returned to his former home in Ohio. Tu 1866, he came to St. Cloud, Minnesota, and the following year, to see- tion ten of this town. Mr. Gessner was united in marringo with Miss Mary Weyranch, of St. Louis, in 1867. They have seven children, four boys and three girls.
ELIJAH DICKEY GOODWIN was born near the village of Trnro, Nova Scotia, on the 12th of Jan- mary, 1835. He received a good common school education and was employed in the gold mines of his native province until coming to Minnesota in 1868. He lived in St. Paul about two years, and was employed at the carpenter trade, which he learned in his native town. He purchased a farm
in the town of Swan River, and after living on it abont seven years, removed to his present farm in section one, Two Rivers. Mr. Goodwin was married to Miss Mary Ann Smith, of London, in 1872. They have five children, three girls and two boys.
CALHOUN HAYS was born in Gilmer county, West Virginia, on the 12th of June, 1841. He lived on his father's plantation until eoming to Sauk Rapids, receiving a good education. His father was a Congressman, also a member of the Constitutional Convention, and was clected State Senator for several terms. In 1857, the subject of this sketeh was appointed Receiver in the Land Offiee at Sauk Rapids, and it was he who was first to improve the water power at the mouth of the Sank river. He resided at Little Falls for a time, and while there held the offiees of County Attor- ney and Register of Deeds, cael for twoterms. In 1867, he came to his present farm, and is now Court Commissioner, Justiee of the Peaee, Town Clerk, Notary Publie, and Insurance and Real Estate Agent. In 1863, he was married to Miss Lavinia H. Lambert, of Maine. They have nine ehildren, six girls and three boys.
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